Starting-crank for internal-combustion engines.



J. A. LAWSON. STARTING CRANK FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.26,1 909.

Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

INVENTOR Jaknfl. Lawson ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

STARTING-CRANK Fen INTERNAL ":OMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed February 26,1909. Serial No. 480,137.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. LAWSON, a

-.:itizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Im proved Starting-Crank for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in starting cranks for internal combustio'n engines, and more particularly to an improved means whereby the crank may be locked to the shaft by the mere act of 1 5 grasping the handle of the crank, and whereby the releasing of the handle will release the grip of the crank upon the shaft.

I11 my improved starting crank I employ two opposed gripping members for engagement with opposite sides of the shaft, and

both of these members are connected to crank arm members which have a relative longitudinal movement. At the outer ends of the crank arm members are two handle members, so constructed and. connected to the crank arm members that the act of grasping the handle will forcethe gripping members toward each;othei;.,tp engage with the shaft. I

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, andv in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a start ing crank constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, a .portion eing shown in longitudinal section; Fig. 3

is aside elevatiomthe handle being shown in folded position; and F i 4- is an end view of the gripping portion of the crank, the shaft being shown in transverse section.

In the specific form of my improved device illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, I provide two gripping members 10 and 11, each substantially cylindrical in form and having {curved opposite faces for receiving therebetween the shaft 12 of an internal combustion engine. The outer memher 10 is provided with outwardly-extending flanges 13, to which are bolted outwardly-extending flanges 14 of a curved shell or casing 15. The shell or casing 15 is of somewhat'larger diameter than the gripping 5 member. 10, and its inner surface is curved to fit the exterior surface of the gripping Specification of Letters Patent.

toward or from each other.

'inember 10, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Patented Oct. 26,

member 11. T hegripping memberll is in closed within the casing orshell 15 and is-' movable in respect thereto toward and from" the member 10. The members 10 and 11 are 'of such size that the shaft may freely rotate between the two when they are separated, butfwhen the members are forced toward each other the shaft is firmly gripped therebetween. The casing member 15 is formed integral with, or at least rigid with, a crank arm member 16, extending outward radially in respect to the shaft, the gripping member 11 being formed integral with," or at least rigid with, a crank arm member 17 extendmg outwardly parallel to the crank armmember 16. The crank arm member 16 is preferably substantially U-shaped in cross section and the member 17 is disposed within the groove or channel of the member 16,'so as to be partially concealed and protected thereby. The casing 15 provided with an aperture in alinement with the end of the groove or channel in the member 16' and through this aperture the arm 17 extends to the outer surface of the gripping member 11. Thus, a relative longitudinal movement of the two crank arm members 16- and 17 forces the two gripping members 10 and 11 The two gripping members are normally spread apart to their limiting position so as to automatically free themselves frointhe shaft, and for accomplishing this any suitable form of spring mechanism may be employed. As illustrated, the crank armanember 17 is provided with a collar 18 inter.-. mediate its ends, which engages with a shoulder 19 in the groove, and a coil spring 20 encircles the crank arm member17 and extends from the collar 18 to atransverse pin 21 in the crank arm member 17 The spring tends to spread the collar and the. pin apart, and as the collar is movable in respect to the member 17 but held against movement in respect to the member 16, it is evident that the spring will tend todraw .the gripping member 11 into engagement with the casing wall and away from the At the outer end of the crank arm members 16 and 17 are two handle members 22 and 23, relatively movable to effect a relative movement of the crank arm members 16 and 17. These handle members-may be (3011 nected to the crank arm members in variousdifferent wa s. but for convenience in storhand of the operar ing the crank when it is detached from the shaft, I preferably so connect them that the handle may occupy a position substantially parallel to the crank arm.- In the specific form illustrated, the handle member 22 is substantially.channel-shaped in cross section and is provided with outwardly-extending lugs 2i pivoted to the side of the member 16. "l he handle member 22 may swing outwardly.

to a position at right angles to the crank arm member, but further outward movement is prevented by the engagement of the end of the handle with the side of the crank arm; For locking the handle member 22 in the crank arm, the spring snaps behind. the

lug and holds the handle in position. The second handle member is seemed to the handle :member -o by a pivot pin :2? disposed intermediate the ends of the handle, and the handle member 23 is so disposed that it may lie within the groove or channel of the. inei'nbcr One end of the handle member extends beyond the hinge end of the member and extends through an opening in the side of the crank arm mem ber 16 when the handle is at right angles to the crank arm. This terminal portion 28 comes into engagement with the outer end of the crank arm member 1?, as shown particularly in Fig. 1, so that by forcing the handle members 22 and toward each other,

- the extension will serveto force the crank arm member 17' longitudinally in respect to the crank arm member 16, and ei'l'ect the gripping of the shaft between the members 10 and ll. 4

In using my improved starting crank, the two grippingmembers l0 and ll are brought into operative ei'igagement with the sl'iaft and the handle member 22 is locked in posiit angl to the crank arm member it lne two handle members 2'2 andiZ?) are then forced toward each other to grip the shaft andthc crank then used to turn the shaft in the ordinary manner. The instant the'ei'igine starts or in case of back-lire, the operator immediately releases the handle andthc spring separates the gripping members, so that the shaft may freely turn in either directi-pn independently of the crank. Even should theKrrank be: jerked out of the the instant. that the handle is free the crank will become released 'so asto prevent. d amage the rapidly moving crank.

Having thus describedv my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

.1. A starting crank for internal combustion engines, comprising two members having opposed gripping surfaces for receiving therebetween the engine shaft, two crank arm members having relative longitudinal movement and connected to the first-mentioned members respectively, a handle member pivotally connected to one of'said crank arm members and movable to a position at right angles thereto or to a position substantially parallel thereto, and a second handle member pivotally connected to the firstmentioned handle member and having operative engagement with the other crank arm member when said handle members are at substantially right angles to the crank arm therebetwecn the engine shaft, a channelshaped crank arm member secured to one of said first-mentioned members, a second crank. arm member connected to the other of said first-i'nentioned members and disposed within the channel of the firstaneutioned crank arm meml; er, a spring within said channel and m rmally' tending to move saidgripping surfaces away from each other, and handle members pivotally connected together and in said crank arm members, the handle member connected to the channel-shaped crank arm member also being channehshaped and adapted to receive the other handle member.

- 8. A' starting crank for internal'combustion engines, comprising two members having opposed curved-gripping surfaces for receiving therebctween the engine shaft butnnattached' to the latter, two crank arm members having relative longitudinal move ment and connected to said first-mentioned members respectively, a channel-shaped handle member pivotally connected to one of! said crank arm members and movable to a position at right angles thereto or to a position substantially parallel thereto, and a second handle member pivotally connected to the first-mentiimed handle member and normally disposed within the groove-thereof and having operative engagement with the other crank arm member when said handle operative engagement with theouter ends of 

